Ayush doctors clean roads in Jaipur over salary hike demand

JAIPUR: Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy doctors were seen sweeping roads near Shahid Smarak at Government Hostel on Wednesday as they were demanding increase in their honorarium.
Ayush doctors said that they opted for a peaceful way of protest by holding brooms and cleaning the roads. “We have organising here Vishal Swachta Karyakaram. Doctors left stethoscope today and held brooms,” an agitating doctor said.

Not only male doctors but also female doctors under AYUSH department cleaned the roads.

They claimed that they have been protesting peaceful and raising their demand for the past two years but the government has not taken action on their demands yet. They said that at last they decided to sweep the roads. Also, they claimed that if the government does not take any action on their demand, they will intensify their protest.

AYUSH doctors, who claim to be getting lowest honorarium in the country protest on city roads. There are around 2000 Ayurveda, Unani and homeopathy doctors who are working in the government hospitals in the state.

AYUSH Medical Association Rajasthan (AMAR) claimed that they are getting honorarium of Rs16,800 per month which is lowest in the country. They threatened to sweep roads as a mark of protest. AMAR office bearers said that home guards are getting Rs22,000 honorarium, nursing staff get Rs26,500, pharmacists get Rs23,500 honorarium.

The protesting AYUSH doctors met health minister Kalicharan Saraf to discuss on their demands. The agitating doctors said that the minister has assured them they he would take action on their demands.

They pointed out that they have played important role in Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), in conducting screening of children for broadly defects at birth, diseases in children, deficiency conditions and developmental delays. RBSK, an innovative and ambitious initiative, which envisages Child Health Screening and Early Intervention Services, a systemic approach of early identification and link to care, support and treatment. This programme subsumes the existing school health programme.